Why does the more you try to take shortcuts through "beauty" to leapfrog social class, the less security you get, and the more you end up losing?

Many people believe that there’s nothing money can’t solve in this world. As long as the other party’s price is high enough, not to mention that trivial love, even abandoning husband and children is no big deal.

I used to think that reality was so cruel and utilitarian. As long as I could make a big fortune or hook up with a wealthy person, I could enjoy a worry-free life in the second half, and even mock those who suffer for love as being too naive.

But later, I realized a truth: treating marriage as a business usually results in a loss.

This kind of transaction, where youth is used as a bargaining chip, sounds tempting, but it violates a fundamental economic principle: your core assets are destined to depreciate significantly every year.

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely has long studied this psychology. Turning intimate relationships into market transactions is very dangerous because even the most expensive material pleasures will experience diminishing marginal utility. At first, that Korean rich man might find you fresh and exciting, but after a few months, that sense of satisfaction will plummet like a roller coaster.

Meanwhile, your only trump card—youth and beauty—will melt away like ice cream, becoming fewer and fewer. So what will you use to maintain that high price?

Instead of betting your fate on others’ fleeting interests, it’s better to cultivate skills that grow exponentially over time.